Harris attacked Republican nominee Donald Trump during her first speech
Harris compared Trump to perpetrators she had taken on in her past roles as a prosecutor
Kamala Harris kicked off her presidential campaign on July 23, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday, July 23, 2024, following Joe Biden's withdrawal from the race. During her first speech at her campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, Harris attacked Republican nominee Donald Trump and compared him to perpetrators she had taken on in her past roles as a prosecutor. The title of this article is derived from the Guardian article titled
Suddenly, Trump faces a Black female opponent who adds new uncertainty to the race.
Allies of Harris plan to frame her campaign around a ‘prosecutor versus felon’ theme.
Harris has experience as the district attorney of San Francisco and the attorney general of California.
Harris described her past roles taking on perpetrators, including those who abused women and ripped off consumers.
Accuracy
Donald J. Trump and Kamala Harris will face each other in the 2024 presidential race.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(95%)
The authors use loaded language when describing Trump's past attacks on female rivals and critics as 'brutal and personal terms'. They also imply that Trump will react strongly to criticism from Harris, who is described as a 'Black woman', by stating that she may goad him into resurrecting the language he has used against other Black female prosecutors. The authors also quote Harris explicitly stating her intention to frame her campaign around a 'prosecutor versus felon' theme and attacking Trump using the same language.
Quote from Harris: 'In those roles I took on perpetrators of all kinds: Predators who abused women, fraudsters who ripped off consumers, cheaters who broke the rules for their own gain. So hear me when I say, I know Donald Trump’s type.'
The authors use loaded language when describing Trump's past attacks on female rivals and critics as 'brutal and personal terms'.
They also imply that Trump will react strongly to criticism from Harris, who is described as a 'Black woman', by stating that she may goad him into resurrecting the language he has used against other Black female prosecutors.
Vice President Kamala Harris kicked off her presidential campaign on Monday
Harris became the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate on Sunday after Biden announced his withdrawal from the race and endorsed her
Harris spoke about her relationship with Biden during her first campaign speech
Media pundits praised Harris’ campaign speech, describing it as ‘perfect reintroduction’, ‘great opening act’, and a ‘direct attack’ against Trump
Former Obama adviser David Axelrod described Harris’ speech as ‘perfectly conceived and well-delivered introduction to the country’
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains selective reporting as it only reports quotes from MSNBC and CNN pundits praising Kamala Harris' speech without providing any counter-opinions or criticisms. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing the reactions of the pundits in a way that is intended to elicit an emotional response from the reader.
He continued, She looked completely comfortable tonight with the words she was speaking. They felt organic and genuine.
MSNBC guest Maya Wiley agreed, I'm with Tim – Tim, I'm jumping out of my seat higher than you, my brother. I'm just going to say that.
What struck me most was that is fighting Kamala Harris. She is coming out, guns blazing.
He continued, I was blown away. I was, like, I kind of fell in love with her.
The speech, after weeks of internal fighting dividing the Democratic Party, was hailed by left-leaning media pundits as the perfect reintroduction of Harris to the country.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting and praising the opinions of MSNBC pundits Donny Deutsch, Tim Miller, and Maya Wiley. They are not experts on Kamala Harris or her campaign abilities and their opinions do not make Harris' speech any more factually accurate or free of logical fallacies.
MSNBC pundit Donny Deutsch said, 'And I was blown away. I was, like, I kind of fell in love with her.'
MSNBC guest Maya Wiley agreed, 'I'm with Tim – Tim, I’m jumping out of my seat higher than you, my brother. I’m just going to say that.'
Bias
(80%)
The author expresses her personal reactions and those of other media pundits to Vice President Harris' first campaign speech. While not explicitly stating bias, the language used to describe Harris' speech and her relationship with Biden is overly positive and enthusiastic.
David Axelrod said, 'She looked completely comfortable tonight with the words she was speaking. They felt organic and genuine.'
Jamie Gangel remarked, 'What struck me most was that is fighting Kamala Harris. She is coming out, guns blazing.'
Maya Wiley agreed, 'I’m with Tim – Tim, I’m jumping out of my seat higher than you, my brother. I’m just going to say that.'
MSNBC pundit Donny Deutsch said, 'I was blown away. I was, like, I kind of fell in love with her.'
Tim Miller exclaimed, 'Bear with me, I’m jumping out of my seat over here watching this. People have been thirsting for this.'
Kamala Harris served as the district attorney in San Francisco and attorney general of California.
Five years ago, The New York Times published an op-ed criticizing Harris’ record as a prosecutor during her failed presidential bid.
Crime rates have risen during the pandemic, leading to voter anxiety and concerns over homelessness and drug addiction.
Some liberal jurisdictions have ousted ‘progressive prosecutors’ due to these issues.
,former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, a prominent figure in the progressive prosecutor movement, was herself convicted on federal charges of mortgage fraud and perjury.
,the calls from the left to ‘defund the police’ are no longer part of the Democratic political mainstream.
San Francisco, Washington, New York and other cities have recently implemented policy changes expanding police powers and enhancing criminal penalties.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article makes several statements that could be considered editorializing and selective reporting. The author, Ankush Khardori, presents Kamala Harris' past as a prosecutor in a positive light despite acknowledging that her record is complicated. He also implies that the political climate has shifted towards being more tough on crime, which could be seen as an attempt to manipulate emotions and sway public opinion. Additionally, the author selectively reports details about rising crime rates during the pandemic and voter anxiety without providing any context or counterarguments.
The truth about Harris’ record as a prosecutor is that it was always more complicated than it was portrayed by her harshest detractors.
All of this could make the phrase ‘Kamala the Cop’ – once a phrase used by Harris’ detractors on the left – a de facto campaign slogan.
Indeed, the political profile of the ‘progressive prosecutor’ itself has taken a major hit.
Today, Harris could practically wear the attack as a badge of honor. It’s a sign of how dramatically the politics of crime have shifted in the last few years – even within her own party.
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to the current political climate by mentioning the shift in public opinion towards law and order and the fall of progressive prosecutors. This is not a logical fallacy but rather an observation of current events.
] Americans today rate crime and violence among their top concerns in the country, with 61 percent of registered voters saying that they believe that the criminal justice system is not tough enough on criminals; in 2020, just 48 percent of respondents said that was the case.[
The political profile of the ‘progressive prosecutor’ itself has taken a major hit.
Earlier this year, former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby – once a national face of the progressive prosecutor movement – was herself convicted on federal charges of mortgage fraud and perjury.
Bias
(80%)
The article does not directly demonstrate any bias from the author towards a specific political party, ideology, or individual. However, the author does make statements that could be perceived as favorable to Vice President Kamala Harris and critical of former President Donald Trump. The author also acknowledges the shift in political sentiment towards law and order issues in recent years and how it may benefit Harris's campaign. While there is no overt bias present, the article does lean towards presenting Harris in a positive light.
]Americans today rate crime and violence among their top concerns in the country, with 61 percent of registered voters saying that they believe that the criminal justice system is not tough enough on criminals;[
For Harris’ part, she is likely to point to Trump as the villain in that story, particularly after he encouraged congressional Republicans to kill a bipartisan immigration deal earlier this year that would have increased enforcement along the southern border.
The facts have only gotten worse for Trump on this front – not just in the form of the pending criminal cases but a series of major civil cases as well.[
Kamala Harris is inheriting a staff that she did not pick at a headquarters in a state she has no connection to other than spending a few days there with Biden over the last four years
Kamala Harris is trying to figure out how to take over the operation without upsetting the established rhythms of Biden’s campaign
The campaign had become dispirited and messy before Harris became the nominee
Accuracy
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have agreed to start planning joint events into the summer and fall
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains a few informal fallacies and an example of inflammatory rhetoric. It uses exaggeration in describing the campaign as 'a battered and dispirited mess' without providing evidence for this claim. Additionally, there is an appeal to authority when stating that 'advisers to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have already agreed to start planning joint events into the summer and fall', without citing any specific sources or individuals. Lastly, there is a dichotomous depiction in describing the campaign as having to choose between 'reconceiving herself as a candidate for president' and maintaining 'the painstakingly worked out rhythms that had gotten Harris past most of the drama and difficulties', implying that these two goals are mutually exclusive.
CNN — No previous American candidate has ever launched a presidential campaign with the race already this much in motion. It’s like changing the quarterback, team mascot and entire playbook halfway through the third quarter.
The vice president is inheriting a staff that she did not pick, working at a headquarters in a state she has no connection to other than spending a few days there with Biden over the last four years
Days were spent trying to grind down anyone who voiced even a hint of skepticism about Biden.
Bias
(95%)
The author uses language that depicts the Biden campaign as a 'battered and dispirited mess' before Harris became the nominee. This is an example of bias as it implies that there was more drama and difficulties in the Biden campaign than what was actually stated in the article.
The campaign had become a battered and dispirited mess
